


tides

by reversemagician (himaAlaya)



Series: nandemonaiya [4]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Hanahaki Disease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 14:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himaAlaya/pseuds/reversemagician
Summary: He sat up slowly, gripping at his heavy blanket until his knuckles turned white. As he moved, petals fell, a slow dance towards the floor until they nestled together. Akira shook his blankets in annoyance, causing even more tulip petals to fall. They were everywhere, scattered across his floor covering the hardwood. At least they were dry, they weren’t wilted, but they weren’t nearly as fresh either. “I hate this.”





	tides

**Author's Note:**

> puts on my shades. y'all ready.
> 
> shout out to [@snackdetective](https://twitter.com/snackdetective) for their help and also for masaaki's existence.

“You haven’t been to school in a week.” He hears his voice before he’s entirely in the room, footsteps creaking on the old wooden steps that lead up to his attic. “People are starting to talk, it makes me look bad if my twin doesn’t bother to show up.”

Masaaki, of course. He hadn’t had the opportunity to contact him lately. Everyone else just showed up in his attic and he took it for granted. Akira knew better than to ignore his family, but sometimes it just took too much energy when he wasn’t directly in front of them. “I missed you too, Masa.” He mumbles towards the wall, lying on his side and currently deciding if he’d rather just shove his face into his pillow than have this conversation. “Are you here to give me your infamous stern three words, because I don’t think I can handle that right now.” It hurt to speak, it hurt even to breathe. 

He sat up slowly, gripping at his heavy blanket until his knuckles turned white. As he moved, petals fell, a slow dance towards the floor until they nestled together. Akira shook his blankets in annoyance, causing even more tulip petals to fall. They were everywhere, scattered across his floor covering the hardwood. At least they were dry, they weren’t wilted, but they weren’t nearly as fresh either. “I hate this.”

The petals part once Masaaki starts walking towards the bed, fluttering to rest in new places. It’d be beautiful if it wasn’t a death sentence. He sits at the edge of Akira’s bed, a comforting and familiar weight. He felt bad for not calling, or even just a message. That’s probably why he showed up, making sure he wasn’t dead or something. He cared, in that sort of nonchalant way of his. Akira leaned forward, resting his head against his twin’s shoulder. He knew he’d hate it, but even just for a few minutes it was comforting.

“Takemi told me it was terminal.” He began, not waiting for a response. “She told me that it’s spread too far, there’s not even a way to remove it anymore.” No movement, no sound. Maybe he was being overdramatic, Akira always had a tendency to make things worse than they actually are. 

“Why.”

“What?”

“Why are you dying, Aki.” 

He sits up, staring down at his blanket and his knuckles. “Because someone will probably never love me back.” It sounded so pathetic when he said it out loud. This could be such an easy problem to fix, but he just can’t do it. “That boy who was on the volleyball team, Mishima-” He doesn’t finish the sentence, petals raining from his mouth and down into his lap. Masaaki makes an annoyed sound, and moves away from him. He heaves, heavy and dry and more petals fall. Akira stares down at the heap. “I looked up what they mean. It means hopeless love.” He takes a few in his hands. “Seems appropriate, huh.”

Masaaki doesn’t answer, idly collecting stray petals from around his feet and off of his comforter. He has a good handful, cheerful yellow overflowing from his hands. “Sounds melodramatic, if you ask me.” He stands up, and crumples the petals in his hands dumps them on Akira. They stick to his hair, and he tries in vain to get the small pieces out. “Go get what you want. You’re doing this to yourself, if this is because of unrequited love, then you have to fix it yourself.”

He knew Masaaki was right, he just about always was. He pushes his glasses from his face and rubs his eyes.

“Jesus Christ you’re not going to cry are you. Get yourself together.” Masaaki tears up more petals, and let’s them fall on and around his brother. “Let me know when you’re done, I don’t have the patience for this.” Akira’s arm shot out and he grabbed at his sleeve.

“Can you stay a little longer?” He wipes his eyes with his sleeve, loosely gripping Masaaki’s arm. “Please, Masa.”

“Only if you stop crying.”

A fair compromise. “I don’t know if I can.”

“You’re fucking impossible Aki.”


End file.
